People within earshot of Eastbourne Town Hall in Grove Road were surprised to hear its bells chiming at the wrong times.

Normally the bells strike every 15 minutes. Yesterday they chimed 4pm at 1pm.

Lesley Wright of Eastbourne Borough Council said: "Whether a poltergeist has affected the bells we don't know but the chimes have been completely incorrect.

"We have had a few phone calls about it and steps are now being taken to sort it out.

"It has caused a bit of amusement around here."

Contractors were fixing the mechanism today.

The clock was installed in 1892 at a cost of £700.

At first it chimed and struck 24 hours a day but a night silencer was later installed.

At about the same time, dial lighting was introduced, with the clock acting as the time switch.

The clock used to be wound manually twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, by two men, a 45-minute job.

In 1964, a new bell was cast and fitted, along with automatic winding, and the clock was overhauled.

Dial lighting was converted to strip lighting with its own electric time switch.

Until 1981, monthly visits were paid to check the clock and the time.

A council spokesman said: "We can confirm the bells have been chiming incorrectly but it is being sorted out."